Angels Fall
by PieFeathers
Summary: When Dean moves into a new neighborhood he meets his neighbor, Castiel. He finds that he's a bit odd, but nothing seems out of the ordinary until Dean notices thing amiss with Castiel. There is something very off about him. Out of all his new neighbors, Castiel is definitely the most interesting yet. When he is Castiel, at least.
1. Chapter 1

Dean set the last box down in his living room and groaned. Half the boxes were soaking wet from the pouring rain. It was his own bright idea to move in after his brother had gotten off work which meant they hadn't finished moving all of his things in until after midnight (there had been an emergency at his brother's work). His brother yelled out from somewhere else in the house but he didn't care, he was more interested in finding the damned coffee machine that was packed up in one of the boxes that said 'kitchen'. Dean knew he wasn't going to be sleeping anytime soon, he still needed to unpack the essentials.

"Hey, I'm thinking I might just stay over." Sam called out from down the hallway.

Dean didn't even respond, only grumbling some response out. He finally found the box and ripped it open with his pocket knife. He pulled the coffee machine out and placed it on the clean, white counter top. He hummed happily as he plugged it into the wall, ignoring the outside world just beyond his window for a little while.

It wasn't until he turned to get water into the coffee pot that he looked out the window into the darkness. He wouldn't usually look out of windows into the dark, it was a habit he had picked up when he was young. Dean remembered growing up and having a fear of looking out into the darkness, and perhaps something horrifying looking back at him. As he got older and learned monsters didn't exist he knew that having this habit made no sense...yet he still had a heart attack whenever he looked out.

A light caught Dean's eye and suddenly thoughts of monsters that could glow crossed his mind. A ghost maybe even? It took him a couple seconds to realize that it was a small lamp lit in the living room of the house across from him. Dean set the coffee pot down and leaned forward to see if he could get a better look. He hadn't seen anyone when they were moving in and he had assumed perhaps they person living there was an older person who went to bed early.

What Dean saw surprised him. A man no older than himself walked into the living room, completely nude. Dean blinked to make sure his tired eyes weren't playing tricks on him. When he realized that he was in fact seeing this he tried to pay attention to anything but the fact his neighbor was walking around with nothing on. He quickly looked away when the man looked in his direction and he prayed he hadn't seen him looking.

When Dean finally looked up once more he was shocked to see the man was staring at him, and he knew he had been caught. He quickly closed the shades and took the full coffee pot to the maker. He didn't say anything as Sam came into the room as he quickly put the ground coffee into the filter and slammed the button that started the machine. He tired to stop the blush that was rising up on his cheeks.

Sam seemed to have noticed his attitude towards the machine and raised an eyebrow. He didn't say anything, just figuring that Dean was just tired. He continued to remove the items from the box that Dean had dragged into the kitchen, mostly all mugs. He was almost done putting them away by the time that Dean finally said something.

"The new neighbor is weird." He finally said.

Sam thought this was a weird thing to say and he crossed the kitchen to peek out of the closed curtain. He didn't see anything, the house next door was dark and when he was about to tell Dean this he was surprised by his brother slamming a cup of coffee down beside him. He blinked at the coffee cup before taking it, saying thanks under his breath.

"What makes you say this?" Sam finally asked.

"The guy next door was walking around naked, with his curtains open." Dean lowered his coffee cup and frowned, glaring at the window. He shook his head and took a sip of the warm coffee. "He looked about my age. At least he wasn't an old guy walking around nude." He shuddered.

Sam tried to hide the smirk that was growing on his face. He could barely resist the urge to poke fun at Dean. Sam knew about his preference for men, and he really wanted to know if this guy was cute or not. Maybe he could try and set him up with the neighbor? He wasn't even sure what the guy looked like and he knew he was just jumping at the chance to make his lonely brother…well less lonely.

"I know your thinking something over there, don't get any bright ideas." Dean glared at him before setting his coffee back down on the counter. "I don't need you to interfere with my personal life. We have seen how that has worked out before."

Sam only shrugged and set his cup down too, clapping his hands together as he left the room. He figured they wouldn't get anything done if they just stood around the kitchen drinking coffee. If he was going to stay over he wasn't about to be sleeping on the floor, the last time he stayed over at Dean's place that he got stepped on by him. That ended any chance of Sam sleeping on the floor again.

"Come on let's get going on some of these boxes. I'm not sleeping on the floor, so let's get the couch into the living room and I'll help you set up your bed." He yelled from the other room.

Dean rolled his eyes and went to help Sam out with the couch and bed. He figured he could meet his neighbor in the morning, possibly apologize for peeping. He hoped the other man didn't hate him after that, Dean planned on living in the house for a few years at least.

The next morning Dean decided to go greet his neighbors. Dean knew the general layout of the neighborhood, it was a nice area but not super high end. It was all he could afford at the time, and he did like the large backyard. He knew it would be nice once summer came, he could invite his family over for once. His family consisted of only his brother, uncle and aunt however, his mother had passed when he was a boy and his father followed after when Dean was in college. One of the reasons Dean had dropped out of college was because he had been distraught over his father's passing. He just never found time to go back to college, and was doing quiet well for himself.

Sam had just graduated from college and had opened his own veterinary clinic, although it wasn't much of a surprise to Dean or anyone close to the boys. Sam had always cared for animals, and it was only a natural fit for him. Their uncle, Bobby, always stated how proud he was of the boys, even if he didn't approve of Dean's line of work. He had always wanted Dean to come work for him at the garage, and in fact that had been what Dean went to college for.

When Dean had dropped out he had been having trouble finding a job when he applied to be a busboy at a high end male strip club. After a few months of work the owner, Balthazar, had gotten several suggestions from clients to hire Dean as a stripper. When approached with the offer Dean had rejected it at first but soon he joined out of curiosity. He had never been the kind to be shy about his body, and as soon as his first show ended he knew he was hooked. It wasn't just fun for him to work there, he also earned a lot of money from the men and women of the upper class who frequented the club. It was the only reason he could afford to live in this neighborhood.

Sighing Dean stood outside the blue two story house next to his, his hands at his sides. He couldn't gain the courage to knock on the door. He had already introduced himself to the neighbor on the other side of him, a man by the name of Cain. Dean had eventually made the excuse he needed to greet the other neighbors when he realized that Cain would just keep telling him stories. He had learned enough about the mans beekeeping and heard enough about Cain's late wife, so he quickly excused himself. He was positive that he heard Cain mumble some profanities at him for leaving but Dean didn't care.

Just as he was about to knock the door opened and Dean yelled out in surprise seeing the man from before. Bright blue eyes stared back at him in shock before stepping out onto his porch. Dean could only think about the man being naked once more and now that he could clearly see how handsome he was Dean felt a small twinge of attraction to him. His bright eyes were offset by the mess of dark hair that seemed to have not been combed recently, or perhaps someone had been running their hands through it. Dean decided not to think about that idea.

"Can...I help you?" The man asked tilting his head.

"Uh..." Dean suddenly remembered what he had come over for. "Yeah, I'm your neighbor. I wanted to say sorry about last night." He tried to put a smile on his face, hoping the neighbor wasn't too angry with him.

"I don't remember you sorry." The man said shaking his head. "You must have me confused with someone else." He tried stepping passed Dean, moving down off the porch.

Dean followed after him, obviously confused. Had the man not seen him the night before? He could of sworn he had stared right at him. Maybe he hadn't? He tried to figure out what to say as he follow the other man down to his mailbox where he was gathering the mail. The man turned around and jumped a little having not expected his neighbor to still be there.

"Sorry...but I saw you in your living room last night...from my kitchen?" Dean tried to remind the man, but then realized that maybe it was a good thing. Perhaps if the neighbor hadn't seen him he wasn't in trouble. Dean felt a little relieved by this. "Dean Winchester."

The neighbor frowned and looked down at Dean's hand as he extended it. He cautiously took it and shook his hand. Dean noticed how hesitant he was and he wondered if he was being too friendly with his neighbor, he wondered if perhaps his neighbor was a loner.

"Castiel Novak. Sorry I have no idea what you mean by seeing me in my living room. I wasn't home last night." Castiel said before pushing passed Dean once more and briskly walking up to his house, slamming the door behind him. Dean could hear some talking on the other side but didn't listen in on it.

Dean found it odd that Castiel seemed to have gotten so defensive over that. Dean knew what he had seen, and he wasn't sure why Castiel would even lie. Unless he did see Dean and hadn't wanted to bring it up, hoping that perhaps Dean hadn't seen him. It was odd but wasn't too strange. Instead he brushed it off and crossed the front yard to his own house, he figured Castiel would be that one neighbor he would ignore while living in the neighborhood.


	2. Chapter 2

Dean smirked as he walked off the stage, his hips swaying as he did so. A round of yells and cat calls followed after him but it was part of the job, and he would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy it. It wasn't often he had an entire audience of men, but on those days he was often allowed to dress in what he wanted. When it was an audience of women they often expected their dancer to be dressed in some uniform, usually a fireman or cop. When it was men they were happy to see Dean prancing around in some lingerie meant for women. Dean learned quickly the difference between the two groups kinks and would plan accordingly.

That was the thing that Dean noticed the most between the two sexes. He preferred the mainly male audiences for this reason, he felt more at home wearing what he wanted. It wasn't a well guarded secret that he enjoyed wearing womens lingerie to be honest, in fact anyone rummaging through his underwear drawer would discover this. However it was different when he had an audience that threw a lot of money his way just to dance on a pole to music wearing them. He enjoyed it to be honest. Dean's favorite nights ended with him stripping down to a pair of pink panties that were a little tight but in all the good ways.

The yells of the men had only fueled him more when he was on stage, but now he rolled his eyes as Balthazar had to yell to tell them he would be on tomorrow night too. He could hear the disappointment in several men as he went into the dressing room, glad to see he was the only one for once. Usually he would be sharing with another person about to go on, but he figured they were already ahead of schedule.

Dean groaned as he dressed, his skin sweaty, he knew he had to take a shower when he got home. He waved at one of the other dancers just coming in before slipping out the back door to the parking lot that was for staff only. He quickly found his car, a beautiful black impala, his pride and joy. He had gotten her on his sixteenth birthday from his father. After many wrecks and repairs, she was still as perfect looking as she had been almost the 12 years since he got her.

The drive home was uneventful, Dean had stopped at a grocery store to pick up some things he needed at the house. It was around two in the morning when Dean finally got home. He grabbed his grocery bag and shut his car door, locking it. He quickly unlocked his front door and locked it behind him before continuing into the kitchen. He knew if his brother had been there he would of scolded Dean for walking across the carpeted entry hall with his boots on, but he really didn't care.

As soon as he was in the kitchen he set the bag down before finally kicking off his shoes by the kitchen island. He figured he could just sweep up the floor when he woke up, same with vacuuming the hall. He quickly put the items he had grabbed into his fridge before turning to throw the bag into the garbage under the sink. Dean then grabbed his shoes and went to put them in the entry way, cutting through the dining room to grab something out of one of the boxes.

Dean was rummaging through one of the filled boxes when something caught his eye causing him to look out the side glass doors that led to the side yard. He saw that Castiel was outside, just sitting in his grass. Dean thought it was odd, it was two in the morning after all. What was even more odd was the fact Castiel was shirtless. It was one thing for him to be naked in his own house where it was warm, but it was chilly out especially with it being mid-spring. The days were warm, but the nights were still cold. He wondered if perhaps he should go say something as Castiel hadn't moved an inch and Dean couldn't help but wonder if he had fallen asleep out there.

Eventually Dean slipped his boots back on and slid open the door. He expected the sound to alarm Castiel and cause him to move but he kept sitting, back turned to Dean. It was odd to Dean, but it further confirmed his suspicions that Castiel had fallen asleep. The night was warmer than the last few but the air was still cold enough to cause people not to be outside too long without a jacket. Dean could smell smoke in the air and he wondered if perhaps someone had their fireplace burning while they slept, a danger hazard he was sure.

He quickly crossed his yard and walked over to the short fence that separated their yards. The fence itself was painted white and only went up to Dean's stomach and he placed his hands on it, leaning over to get a closer look at Castiel. The wood beneath his fingers was smooth, most likely finished and he leaned his t-shirt clad abdomen against it as he tried to see Castiel better in the dim moonlight.

"Hey…are you okay?" Dean asked cautiously. "I saw you and I was concerned you fell asleep out here."

Castiel lifted his head causally, and Dean could of sworn he heard Castiel let out a small chuckle. His neighbor turned his head and smiled in his direction. He stared at Dean for a little bit before shrugging and standing up off the ground.

"I remember you...the peeping tom." Castiel said pointing his finger at Dean and letting his eyes rake over him.

This made Dean pause, Castiel had said he didn't remember him the day before...had he been lying? Why was he acting this way? Dean was about to ask if he was okay but Castiel turned and walked back to his house, ending the conversation before it even began. This left Dean leaning against the fence, surprised beyond belief. He disappeared into his house, turning the porch light on finally. Dean only turned back when he felt the cold get to him and he knew Castiel wasn't coming back out.

The next day Dean woke up around noon, his usual time when he didn't get home till late after work. He quickly got ready before going out to check the mail. The day was warmer than the last, and he smiled seeing that several people were out already. His feet scuffed against the long grass as he crossed to his mailbox and he knew he would have to mow it soon. He figured he wouldn't have much in terms of mail just yet, but he wanted to check just in case. As Dean pulled out his mail he sighed seeing that the only piece of mail he had wasn't his at all.

 _James Novak._

Dean read it and frowned. His neighbor's last name was Novak, but he was sure that he had said his name was Castiel, not James. He wondered if perhaps it was a family member or husband, but he hadn't seen any indication of having a partner. There wasn't a ring on Castiel's hand nor had he seen another person living there, but then again he had only been there for a couple days. He could be wrong and Castiel could have a partner, but perhaps they worked a lot.

He walked over to Castiel's house and quickly knocked on his door. He heard some swearing on the other side and he waited patiently as the door unlocked from the other side. Dean smiled politely once he saw Castiel's face pop out from behind the door. The man wasn't smiling, and instead looked like Dean had interrupted him sleeping. He was dressed the same as when Dean had seen him the night before, except he had a shirt on this time at least.

"Sorry to bother you, but there was mail that isn't mine in my mailbox and I was wondering if perhaps it was yours or someone you know? It says Novak so...I just assumed." Dean explained holding the mail out for Castiel to take. "I didn't know if you had a relative getting mail or..." Dean shrugged not trying to push the word "partner" or "husband".

Castiel narrowed his eyes and looked at the piece of mail offered to him. He smiled and took the mail from Dean. His smile didn't reach his eyes though, and it was as if it was just for show, perhaps just to usher Dean along quickly. Dean however wasn't fooled and he was wondering exactly why Castiel was getting mail for someone who shared his last name. In all honesty Dean was known among his friends to be very snoopy when it came to things like this.

"It's nothing..." Castiel quickly tried to explain. "James is my middle name. Sometimes I use that instead of Castiel." He continued as if he was expecting Dean to accept this explanation.

Dean didn't find this explanation satisfying but before he could say anything Castiel had already closed the door. Dean could hear the lock go into place, signaling that Castiel didn't wish to be bothered anymore. He stood on Castiel's small porch for a few minutes before turning and walking back to his own place. He couldn't help but wonder if perhaps he had over stepped some boundaries by asking, maybe it had been someone Castiel knew but they were no longer there.

Suddenly the theory that perhaps it had been a sibling or lover of Castiel's that had passed popped into Dean's mind and he felt horrible for what he had done. He hadn't meant to make it an interrogation at all. He could only imagine how Castiel may have been feeling with Dean showing up holding that envelop. Actually, no...Dean knew exactly how that felt.

 _Dean glared at the phone that kept ringing. For the last hour it had been ringing and Dean really wanted to answer it to tell the person it wasn't funny that they were calling that phone. But he didn't. He couldn't. The last thing he needed was touching it when his entire life was spent being told not to, being scolded for answering it. And also because no matter what, answering it would mean accepting that the last of his parent's was really gone._

 _It had been his father's phone. For all his faults, John Winchester had been the only parent Dean had. He was close to him if those were the right words. The fact was Dean hadn't been super close as a teen but what teen was close to their parents? It was part of being a teenager in Dean's eyes. But as a child and once he got out of high school Dean was very close to his father._

 _That's why when the phone call came when Dean was in college, Dean felt like everything was gone. His mother had died when he was young and then his father, from a heart attack. He was too young to have a heart attack Dean had always maintained, but that's what happened. His father had a heart attack while driving, crashed his car and ended up in a deep ravine. He was pronounced dead on arrival._

 _It took months before Dean finally was able to accept Sam's help, to let Bobby and his family help. It took years before Dean finally understood he still had family, even if both the people he should be looking up to were buried next to each other in a Kansas cemetery._

 _Dean finally picked up the phone, sighing as he explained to the person that John was dead. They hesitated before apologizing and hanging up. Dean had stayed there for at least an hour, the phone in his hand and thoughts going through his mind. It was when the phone rang once more that Dean finally moved, throwing the phone against the wall, silencing it._


	3. Chapter 3

Dean glared out at the man gardening in the neighbors yard. He was growing frustrated with him. He had only been living there a week but he was already done with Castiel. That morning he had gone out to get his mail and he had spotted Castiel...except he was clean shaven, hair neat and he ignored Dean. When Dean tried to say hello Castiel acted like he had never even seen him before and walked back to his house simply giving him a confused look. It was odd to say the least, even a little rude but Dean figured maybe Castiel just didn't want to be bothered by Dean or even had a busy day ahead of him and was distracted.

He wasn't sure what Castiel did for a living, he had never asked of course and he was usually asleep during most of the day so he never saw if Castiel came or went. He just knew that Castiel had odd hours, and Dean hardly ever saw him doing the same thing more than once unless he was in his yard. Of course with the price of the neighborhood Dean figured Castiel had to have a good source of income.

Dean was getting really tired of this game that Castiel was playing, he wasn't sure if Castiel was ignoring him or just was crazy. Between the late nights that he would find Castiel doing something odd like wandering the yard half naked and the days when he was awake he would find Castiel kicking a cat out of the house, scolding it for being there. That was another thing that Dean had noticed that didn't sit well with him, something that told him that things were off with his neighbor.

Castiel had a cat. Or Dean assumed it was his cat. It was a small long haired calico, he heard Castiel call the cat Naomi or just 'bitch' when it was late at night. At nights he would find Castiel calling for her and bringing her inside, but then kick her out the next morning. Dean would assume that it was just him kicking her out because he didn't want her there in the daytime or while he was at work but it wouldn't explain that sometimes he would yell out loud for her to stop coming into his house. Dean just thought the entire display was out of the ordinary.

Dean wasn't much of a cat person, his allergies to them always got in the way of him ever actually spending time with one. He knew he could easily get medicine for it but he never felt the need to. It was just too much hassle, besides his brother was a dog person and Dean really didn't want a pet. No one else he knew had a pet either, so it really never came up.

But while everything confused Dean about Castiel, he had to admit he wasn't too angry at him. He found him very interesting, he was noticing his habits more even despite how random and odd these habits were. Dean realized that he really wasn't friends with Castiel and he felt that maybe he should change that. He had called Sam earlier and asked what he thought, his brother telling him to just go over and start up a conversation. Sam was always better at talking to people than Dean was, often times Sam was the one who had to clean up the messes Dean had created with his relationships.

This was where Dean found himself, opening the side door and heading out into his own yard. It wasn't too late, in fact he could hear music coming down the way from another house, the neighborhood curfew not yet in place that night. He could still see the fading blues of the sky due to the sun having set but darkness not setting in yet. He looked up to the sky as he walked across his yard, small thin dark blue clouds gathered in the sky, offsetting the darkening robin blue sky that was mixed with hints of yellow. It was going to rain soon, he knew simply by the wind change and the smell of the night.

Growing up in a suburb of Kansas Dean learned the signs of oncoming storms. He knew when a storm would be approaching. He would lay down in the grass in his backyard and look up at the sky, waiting for it to change so he would have an excuse to run inside and hide in his room away from his father. He could say he had homework to do, even though he never did it. He could open the window and listen to the rain. Sometimes he would fall asleep, but was always careful to wake up at the slightest sound in case it was his father coming to check on him.

Dean was pulled back to reality when he finally paid attention to the yard he was slowly approaching. Castiel was out in his yard, it appeared to him that he was digging in the yard but as Dean drew closer he realized that Castiel was gardening. The dark haired man was busy pulling out the small group of weeds that had suddenly taken over the dirt. He was dressed simply in a pair of light jeans and a white t-shirt. Dean wanted to make some remark about how he would just get it dirty but decided to keep his mouth shut on that one.

Dean struggled to open his mouth to say anything, it wasn't that he was bad at talking with people but rather at this point he was worrying that perhaps Castiel didn't say anything to him because...well he was ignoring Dean. Dean was about to go back inside when Castiel turned his head and noticed Dean standing there. A smile grew across Castiel's face and he sat back on his heels.

His hair was tousled from the wind and hard work, strands sticking to his forehead due to the sweat from the work he was doing. His smile was relaxed and warm, different than the first time Dean had finally talked to him in the yard. Castiel waved a small hand at him, almost shyly and Dean felt his heart race a little with adoration.

"Hello...Dean was it?" Castiel asked.

"Yeah...we haven't really talked much so I'm surprised you remembered my name." Dean said awkwardly. He stood there silently for a few minutes, shifting his weight from one to side to the other.

"Was there something you needed Dean?" Castiel finally asked breaking the silence.

Dean shrugged, he hadn't needed anything really. He wondered what he was doing, he was only out there because Sam suggested that he go and make friends with his weird neighbor. Not that Dean would just tell Castiel all that, he didn't need to guy to dislike him more than he already did; or that Dean assumed he did.

"Well would you like to help out then?" Castiel asked. Dean shrugged once more and settled in the grass beside his neighbor, looking down at the dirt. "Do you garden?" Castiel asked not seeming to be fazed by how close Dean was while Dean was close to having a mini heart attack.

"Uhm...not really. I mow my lawn if that counts?" Dean asked and Castiel only gave a small chuckle but it was enough to make Dean smile.

"I mean do you grow flowers or vegetables?"

"No. I guess I don't have time for a garden." Dean explained as he began to pull a few weeds from their resting places.

"Too bad. I like home grown vegetables. They taste better than at stores..." Castiel said. "Although keeping that damn cat out of the garden is tough..." He sighed glaring at a small plot of the garden that had obviously been dug up and covered by dirt again. Several small sprouting plants were on there sides, their roots sticking out while their leaves were buried under small bits of dirt.

"If you don't like the cat why do you have him?" Dean asked. He was still confused about the cat thing and he figured it was the best time to ask since Castiel had brought it up.

Castiel seemed to hesitate before he answered Dean, almost as if he was trying to think up an answer on the spot. "It's my roommates..." He quickly stated.

Dean could tell Castiel didn't want to talk about it but he really needed to figure out what was going on in Castiel's house. He licked the bottom of his lip out of nervousness and decided to proceed with caution. He was silent for a few minutes as he cleaned up his patch of the garden before he finally decided what to say.

"So...this roommate? Are you guys..." Dean stopped what he was saying, not wanting to word it in a way that offended Castiel. However his neighbor seemed to understand what he was trying to suggest and shook his head.

"No...no...nothing like that." Castiel laughed. "He's...my identical twin."

"Oh..." Was all Dean could say. He really hadn't thought of that as a real option. Sure he wondered if Castiel had a brother, but twins...that would explain a lot. That must have been the name, James Novak.

Although Castiel had stated that name was his middle name...maybe he was emberressed about having a twin? Dean couldn't imagine why, but it wasn't often that Dean told random strangers he had a younger brother. It just wasn't something you talked about with random strangers. And besides, he knew twins kind of freaked out some people.

"I hope that's alright?" Castiel asked, suddenly sounding worried.

Dean looked up to him and nodded, smiling. "Yeah, no it's fine. I'm just surprised. Your parents are lucky to have two handsome sons."

Castiel stopped and looked at him, tilting his head. It wasn't until a few seconds later that Dean realized what he had said and soon he was blushing and trying to apologize. He really hadn't meant to compliment Castiel, it had just slipped out. As he tried to explain this Castiel just laughed more and patted him on the shoulder in attempt to make him feel better.

"Actually, my parent's have fo-...five sons and two daughters. We are quiet a large family." Dean barely noticed the slip up and he nodded.

"I only have a brother and half brother I met once. I really can't imagine having so many siblings." Dean said.

Castiel nodded and stood up, brushing the dirt off his pants and smiled down at Dean. Dean realized they had finished most of the garden and he quickly scrambled up to his feet as well.

"It was nice talking to you Dean, it's getting late though..." Castiel smiled and gave him a small wave before walking back towards his house. Dean watched him go, noticing how he turned back to him every few seconds.

Once Castiel was to his backdoor Dean finally walked back to his own yard, trying to ignore his heart that was currently trying to escape his chest. His hands shook as he finally got back into his house and locked the door. Castiel was strange...but Dean was starting to realize that maybe that's what he liked most about it.


	4. Chapter 4

Dean hummed as he went about cleaning up the kitchen. It was his day off and he could take the time to do some chores he needed to do and then rest up the rest of the day. He had already fixed breakfast and he was trying to eat it between cleaning the house. He was determined to spend sometime cleaning up the backyard before the morning was over. It wasn't that the yard was in too much of disarray, it was more that the people he had bought the house from didn't take very good care of it.

Dean quickly rushed to the door with his half eaten food when he heard the doorbell ring. Opening it he was surprised to find Castiel standing there. He was dressed in a simple pair of black slacks and a white button up, his hair was messy but Dean figured it was just because he had gotten up.

"Yes?" Dean asked, obviously confused by the sudden visit of his neighbor.

Castiel was about to say something but stopped and looked at the plate Dean was holding. His eyebrows furrowed and he wrinkled his nose in disgust. "What...is that?" He asked darting his eyes up to Dean's.

Dean looked down at his plate for a second before smiling. "Oh this? This is...me dying in ten years if I eat this too much." Dean grinned at his own joke.

"Okay, but what is it?" Castiel asked either not interested in Dean's joking or the joke passing over him completely.

"Its got like bacon and onion and stuff on butter drenched bread...I don't know, I just threw stuff together. I don't have a lot of groceries." Dean sighed. "Besides I don't think you came here to talk about my breakfast options."

"Oh! No I didn't. Sorry." Castiel apologized as he snapped out of his silent judgment of Dean. "I was asked to see if you wished to join us on a trip later this afternoon. By us I mean, Cain and I. He is busy packing but he suggested that you were perhaps interested in joining...and he said maybe he could finish his story he was telling you?"

Dean failed at holding back his groan and Castiel giggled a little at it. "Yes...I know. He's not the most pleasant, but to be honest he is a good man. A lot of people just don't visit him, and he doesn't open up to a lot of people."

"Where are we supposed to be going?" Dean asked stepping back to let Castiel finally into his house.

Castiel didn't answer as he looked around the sparsely furnished house. He frowned at the fact there was hardly any personal effects on the walls, and barely any furniture. It had more papers strewn about than personal effects. He finally realized that Dean was waiting for him to respond when he made eye contact with the taller man.

"Cain...he owns a small plot of land south of here and he sometimes goes to check to make sure it's being taken care off. I believe it has beehives there." Castiel explained with a smile on his face.

"I take it you like bees too?" Dean asked heading into the kitchen to set his plate down.

"Yes. I think they are fascinating creatures..." Castiel called out from the living room, unsure if he was supposed to follow Dean or not.

"Sure...I don't see why not. What time are we leaving?" Dean asked, cleaning the food off his plate.

"After one. It's not too long of a drive and we should be back by nightfall." Castiel explained.

"Who is driving?" Dean asked coming out of the kitchen, he knew Castiel didn't have a car and he wasn't all that sure he wanted Cain to be driving them. Castiel ignored him and walked back to the door. He almost acted like he was spooked by something.

"I'll see you then." Castiel said waving to Dean before leaving him in his house, alone once more. He frowned in confusion, unsure why Castiel was in such a hurry to get away from him.

Dean sighed and closed the door after Castiel, shaking his head at the strange neighbor. He figured that spending time with Cain and Castiel would help him get to know them both at least. Dean didn't have may friends in the neighborhood, and he knew it would be best if he finally did open up and get to know the surrounding people better. Still a trip to the country was a little much for Dean, but he figured with Cain and Castiel going that it wouldn't be a dull ride at least.

It was a little after one when a truck pulled up to Dean's house. He had just taken a shower and changed his clothing when he noticed it. He could see Castiel talking to Cain, but Dean couldn't see who was driving. It was a larger truck with an extended cab, and Dean could tell it was recently washed. The red paint shone in the sun and it barely had any dirt or smudges on the windshield. A trip down to the country would fix that, Dean was sure.

Castiel jumped out of the cab and smiled at Dean. He had changed his clothes too, this time he was wearing a gray t-shirt and a pair of worn out jeans. They had what appeared to be small drops of paint on them, and Dean wondered if perhaps Castiel painted in his past time. Dean decided he would ask about this later when they were in the car.

Cain followed soon after, slower than Castiel due to his age. To anyone who didn't know him, they would of assumed he was much younger than he actually was. He greeted Dean friendly before Dean pulled himself up into the cab, he could only assume he would be sitting in the back. He smiled at the man driving them. The driver gave Dean a quick look over with striking amber eyes before smiling and introducing himself.

"Gabriel." Dean took the hand offered to him and shook it. "I'm Castiel's brother."

Dean was surprised to say the least, mainly due to how little family resemblance there was between the two. He didn't press the issue as he ducked into the back of the truck. It was a tight fit, especially for a grown man but he managed as he pulled his legs up a little. In the end he found parting his legs a little helped with comfort, but it was still a very closed space. He had a small window he could look out of, so he didn't feel too cramped at least. He was surprised however when Castiel sat in the back with him.

"Is this alright?" Castiel asked. He could tell that Dean was surprised and he didn't want to make him uncomfortable.

"Yeah, this is fine." Dean said. He tried to keep his heart from racing too much from being so close to Castiel.

"Good, wouldn't want you to be uncomfortable." Gabriel called from the front.

Dean already disliked him. He sent a glare to the back of Gabriel's head, before he felt something hit his knee. He looked over to see Castiel's leg touching his own and he cleared his throat pulling away a little. Castiel didn't seem to notice as he was too busy talking to Cain about something. Dean didn't catch what was being said as he only heard part of the conversation, so instead of trying to eavesdrop he turned to look out the window.

After a few minutes drive they were driving through town, heading south. The conversation between Cain and Castiel had quieted down. Gabriel started to chat with Castiel and it was then that Dean heard something that caught his attention.

"Are you going to be okay?" Gabriel asked.

Dean thought this was unusual, seeing as Castiel seemed fine. Of course he hadn't know Castiel that long and perhaps he was just good at hiding how he was feeling. He looked over to Castiel who was frowning now.

"Gabriel, now is not the time." Castiel said, his voice low.

Gabriel looked back in the rear view mirror at Castiel and then Dean before shrugging and looking back towards the road. Dean looked over to Castiel, and was about to ask what that was all about when Gabriel spoke up once more.

"So...Dean right? Cain and Castiel were telling me about you." Gabriel said. "What do you do for a living?"

Dean felt a wave of fear rush through him at this question. He usually didn't tell others what he did, mainly due to how many times he had been judged for it. He didn't want to lie with Castiel there however, but he felt that he may ruin his friendship with everyone in the truck if he told the truth.

"I...work at a club." Dean said, it wasn't too far from the truth at least.

"So like a bouncer or something?" Gabriel asked.

"Or something." Dean nodded. He looked over to see Castiel staring at him, still frowning. He gulped, scared that Castiel could tell he was lying.

"H-how far away is this place?" Dean asked changing the subject.

"It's about a two hour drive." Cain said. "I would of drove us out there but my car is broken down."

"You know I can check out your car tomorrow evening if you want?" Dean offered. "I'm pretty good with cars."

"If it isn't too much trouble?"

Dean shook his head. "No, no trouble at all." He grinned. From the corner of his eye he could see Castiel smiling before turning to look out his own window.

The rest of the ride was mostly quiet on Dean's end, he listened to the other three men talk casually and he fell asleep to the soft sound of it. They pulled off the main road onto a dirt one, the bumps jolting Dean from his nap. He groaned at his stiff muscles and tried to move his leg but ended up brushing up against Castiel.

"Sorry..." Dean mumbled sitting up more in his seat.

"It's fine." Castiel smiled.

Dean could feel Gabriel's eyes on him and when he turned to look at him the other man looked back to the road. They pulled off near a medium sized field, and Gabriel turned the truck off. Dean could see what he assumed where bee houses further in the field, but what caught his eye was the large old barn that seemed to be falling into disrepair. It's red and white paint was faded and peeling. The shutters were closed and the door leading inside was left wide open and it seemed to be falling off it's frame, but the structure itself seemed to be alright. It was standing upright at least.

"Who take's care of this land while your gone?" Dean asked Cain as soon as they were out of the truck.

"A few neighboring farms stop in and take care of the bees, but not much more than that. I used to drive out here all the time, but once I couldn't make frequent trips out here I set up a small group of bees in my backyard back home." Cain explained as they walked.

"Have you ever thought about maybe...using this land for other things?" Dean asked looking around.

"No. There's no use. I don't need the money so having livestock or crops just seems like a waste of time." Cain sighed.

"What...about selling the land?"

Cain stopped and turned to Dean. Dean immediately knew that this was the wrong question to ask by the look Cain was giving him. He quickly mumbled an apology and ducked his head down. Cain silently walked away, Gabriel and Castiel following after him.

Dean decided to let them walk on their own and to go exploring the barn a little. He figured they didn't need his help, and at the same time he wasn't really interested in beekeeping. He was more interested in the building and how badly it was damaged. He hesitantly entered the building, making sure nothing loose would fall from being disturbed.

He muttered to himself as he pushed against a few boards, making a mental note at how sound they were. He made sure that he would remember to ask Cain exactly how old the building was. It was constructed in such a way that it would be easy to change it into a house. The layout was large on the bottom, a few rooms to the side that Dean could look into. He assumed these had been for machinery or storage. Above was a loft that Dean didn't trust himself to go up to, there was a few rotten boards and he didn't want it falling out from under his feet.

Dean was interrupted when he heard Castiel talking. He thought perhaps the other man had come to find him him, but when Gabriel responded to Castiel was when Dean realized they were talking away from Cain. He didn't mean to eavesdrop but they were right beside the wall he was at. He tried to find a place to hide in case they could see his shadow but Gabriel's words stopped him.

"Does Dean know?" Gabriel asked.

"Know what?" Castiel responded. Dean could hear the irritation in his voice and he couldn't help but smile. He barely knew Gabriel but he figured he was the type of brother to get on his sibling's nerves.

"About your condition."

Dean's heart sank. Was Castiel sick? He had never seemed sick but then again he could be hiding it, Dean realized.

"Why would I? We hardly know each other?" Castiel hissed.

"Yeah sure. I can see how you two act around each other."

Dean blushed, he had hoped it wasn't too obvious that he held some kind of interest in Castiel.

"We aren't anything, and I'm not interested." Castiel growled.

Dean could hear him walk away and he felt his heart break a little. Did Castiel really mean that? He assumed he was being friendly because he wanted to be romantically involved with Dean...not because he was just being a friendly neighbor. Dean hoped that Castiel didn't know of his romantic interest in him.

He waited until he could hear Gabriel walking away before leaving his hiding spot by the wall. He was brushing off the dirt that had collected on his jeans when he nearly ran into Gabriel. Dean let out a small yell of surprise and stumbled back a bit, not expecting to see Gabriel there.

"Uhm...where's Cas?" Dean asked brushing past Gabriel.

"Cas?" Gabriel laughed following after him.

"Sorry, Castiel."

Gabriel gave a small, "Oh", before continuing. "He's with Cain. He's pretty interested in beekeeping."

Dean just nodded and kept walking towards the truck. He looked down at the ground, scuffing the dirt with his shoes every few steps. He knew Gabriel had something to say to him, and he waited patiently for him to speak up. He was worried that perhaps Gabriel knew that he had lied about his job, or maybe he was going to confront him about his relationship with Castiel.

"We have some beer in the cooler in the back." Gabriel said, surprised Dean. He looked in the back to find a red cooler tied down.

"Thanks." Dean said grabbing a beer. He tossed a second one to Gabriel who nodded his own thanks. "To be honest, your brother and Cain don't seem like drinkers to me."

"It depends for Castiel." Gabriel stated, drinking from the can.

"Depends on what exactly?" Dean narrowed his eyes, giving Gabriel a suspicious look.

A conflicted look came across Gabriel's face and he sighed, playing with the can in his hands for a few hesitant seconds. Dean gritted his teeth, annoyed by all the secrecy that was being passed around by everyone else. It was almost like they were on the playground and Dean was the one waiting to join the game of telephone.

"I shouldn't tell you if Castiel hasn't." Gabriel finally said.

Dean held himself back from nearly attacking Gabriel. He was growing tired of this, but before he could say anything Castiel was approaching them. He decided to keep his mouth for the sake of Cas. Castiel gave Gabriel a concerned look before turning to Dean. Dean couldn't help but smile when Castiel looked away shyly.

"Gabe, come on. Cain wants to talk to you about something and he wants me to help him out." Castiel said.

Castiel nodded to Dean before walking back to Cain. He looked back to Dean once as Gabriel joined him, but it was brief and soon he was too far away for Dean to say anything to him. Dean couldn't help but wonder even more what Castiel was hiding.


	5. Chapter 5

The sun had just started to set by the time they all got into the truck and left for home. Dean had grown bored of the trip way before they were ready to go. He hadn't seen anyone else out in the fields and he had explored around enough to keep him busy most of the time. Mainly he had been drinking beer and playing imaginary conversations in his head that he would have with Castiel once they were alone. Dean had a few times gone to see how they were doing and ended up just watching as Castiel excitedly listened to everything Cain told him until Gabriel glared at him.

He wasn't sure what the big deal was. It didn't seem Gabriel had any issues with Castiel and Dean maybe seeing each other, so it wasn't that he could possibly be homophobic and that was the reason. Gabriel just seemed protective over Castiel, or more so about whatever secret he was keeping from Dean. Dean wondered if perhaps it was simply that Gabriel felt Dean couldn't handle whatever dark secret was over Castiel.

About an hour into the drive home, they pulled off to get dinner at a fast food place. Dean stayed in the car as Gabriel and Cain went into order food for the road, leaving him alone with Castiel. He wasn't sure if this was on purpose or not. The sun had already set and Gabriel had left the truck running so the interior lights stayed on.

Dean had to keep checking on Castiel, each time he looked at him it seemed as if the dark haired man was getting more and more agitated yet Dean had no idea why. It was worrying Dean and he had spent the last few minutes looking out the front window to see if Gabriel and Cain were done yet.

The two other men were still waiting in line to order so Dean sat back in his seat with a sigh. He turned to Castiel for what felt like the fiftieth time, but this time Castiel was staring back. Dean was about to apologize, but Castiel only smiled at him. The worst part was Dean recognized that smile. It wasn't Castiel's normal smile and he had only seen it once before, the night Castiel was in his yard shirtless.

"Cas? Are you alright?" Dean asked.

"Cas?" Castiel echoed in confusion.

"Sorry..." Dean sighed. "Castiel. It's...a nickname."

Castiel's smile grew and he let out a small chuckle. It didn't sit well with Dean and he frowned, suddenly aware that he couldn't easily get out of the truck if needed. Of course this thought made him sick, why would he assume he needed to escape from Castiel? Why was he so unsettling sometimes?

"Right of course." He looked out his own window, not saying anything else for a few minutes.

Dean watched him carefully. He quickly glanced to where Gabriel and Cain were finally ordering their food and he felt better knowing they would be back out to the car soon. He just had to wait a few more minutes with Cas.

"Do you like Ca-...me?" Castiel asked.

Dean frowned and gave him a side glance. He wasn't sure if he wanted to answer that or not. Yes he was interested in him, but at the same time this wasn't Castiel. Dean just knew it deep down. There was something very wrong with the entire situation. Castiel turned to look at him and gave him a look as if he was waiting for an answer.

"Yes...you're my friend." Dean stated hoping that was enough.

"Friend. Aw, that's adorable." Castiel laughed.

Dean winced. It felt like Castiel's laugh was slashing through him, mocking him almost. He unbuckled his seat belt, ready to leave the truck any minute however Castiel quickly did the same thing. Before Dena could do anything he was being pinned against his window, Castiel climbing into his lap. His heart was racing at the devilish grin that was spreading across Castiel's face.

"You're lying though." Castiel said as he ran his hands up Dean's chest. "I know exactly what you want. It's not hard to figure out."

Dean let out a small gasp as Castiel pressed his body against his own, his lips going to Dean's neck. He didn't know what to do other than to grab onto Castiel. He didn't push him away though. As much as he knew he should be pushing him away, he just couldn't bring himself to. This spurred Castiel on a little more and he moved up from Dean's neck to his jaw, kissing and biting gently so not to leave marks.

It seemed to only last a few seconds as Castiel pulled away leaving Dean reeling and confused. It didn't last long before the truck doors were opening and Dean realized Gabriel and Cain were back. He quickly sat up and fixed himself, ignoring the feeling of Castiel's eyes on him. He prayed Gabriel would look back so he could catch his eye, but he ignored them both and started the truck as Cain gave them their food.

Dean wasn't hungry after what had happened and he stayed quiet the entire ride back. Castiel didn't act any different than before, but Dean could feel that he wasn't his normal self. He needed to talk to Gabriel about his brother because he knew there was something that he knew that he refused to tell Dean. Dean was scared that maybe whatever it was may be dangerous for him.

They dropped Cain off first at his house before driving to Castiel's house. Gabriel parked in between Castiel's and Dean's houses and let Castiel out first. Dean stayed behind a few seconds to walk to Gabriel, deciding to wait until Castiel was in the house before speaking up. However, Castiel didn't even make it halfway up the driveway before Gabriel was the one to say something.

"You noticed it didn't you?" He asked.

Dean sighed and nodded. He wasn't sure what it was he had seen but there was something. He crawled into the front seat and settled in closing the door Castiel had just left out of.

"What is it? Is he ill?" Dean asked.

"Yes...in a way." Gabriel explained. "He claimed as a child that...he had spirits that followed him."

Dean frowned, turning to look out the window and watch Castiel wave at them to join. When they didn't move he flipped them off and stormed into his house. He knew the regular Castiel he knew would never act that way and he slowly began to understand where Gabriel was going with this.

"The doctors diagnosed him with Dissociative Identity Disorder." Gabriel said. Dean gave him a confused look so he continued. "It's more commonly known as multiple personality disorder. He isn't himself...he's another person sometimes. Or at least his brain created other personalities."

"Why?" Dean asked. "And aren't the personalities not supposed to know about each other? I'm pretty sure this one...who ever it is knows about Castiel."

"Don't ask me. I was just a teenager when he was diagnosed. He was only a kid. Our mother told me everything." Gabriel sighed. "Well what she thought the family could handle anyways."

Dean knew that it fit everything that he had seen, yet something still didn't sit right with him. The explanation didn't sit well with him. Castiel did exhibit signs of other personalities, but they seemed too much like other people. He shook his head in frustration but didn't press any further. He opened the door to leave but was stopped by Gabriel grabbing his arm.

"Don't tell him I told you alright?" Gabriel begged. "He doesn't need to know that you know."

Dean nodded and as soon as Gabriel let go of his arm he got out slamming the door. He sent one look to Castiel's house before running up to his own door, unlocking it and going inside. He looked out the window to see Gabriel driving away before deciding it was time for bed.

Castiel hummed to himself as he stripped out of his clothing. He ran a hand through his messy hair, furthering it's untamed look. He could barely contain his excitement at the fact he got to play with their new neighbor again. Of course there was his brothers telling him to knock it off but they weren't in control right now.

"You really know how to pick them Castiel." He muttered peeking out his window towards Dean's house. "You know how he would react if he knew? The truth, not that multiple personality bullshit our mother spews." He sneered in distaste.

" _Castiel!"_

 _The small boy looked up from his toys in the dirt. He was at most eight, but his eyes seemed tired, aged beyond his years. He stood up and brushed the dirt off his pants. He looked to see a group of other boys approaching him. The tallest was also the oldest, around ten while the others were closer to Castiel's age._

" _Aw look, Castiel playing all by himself! What don't have any friends?" The older boy laughed._

 _Castiel looked down to the ground and gritted his teeth. It was true, he didn't have a lot of friends. He would often make them but lose them due to his "mood swings" as his mother put it. He didn't understand why they hated him so much._

" _What? Lil' Cassie gonna cry?" The boy yelled. "Why don't you run on home?"_

 _The boy pushed Castiel back and he fell to the ground. He didn't make a sound as he stood up and ran off, away from the group of yelling boys. He didn't feel tears sting his eyes as usual. He was too tired of all the bullying and being pushed around. So many times he showed up home with bruises on his body and broken bones._

" _Why don't you break something of his?" Came the voice again._

 _Castiel hated that voice. There was two of them, two that followed him around. He told his mother he could see them but she didn't believe him. He tried to explain they looked like him, but one had a scary look on his face. The same one with the voice that held hatred and coldness._

" _I don't want to!" Castiel cried running faster as if he could outrun the voice._

 _He didn't stop until he reached home and told his mother what had happened. She scolded him once more for his stories of ghosts and forced him into time out, telling him the stories of his ghosts and monsters were going to send him to hell if he didn't stop. All the while the other two watched in silence, one with sad, pity filled eyes and other angrily staring at their mother._


	6. Chapter 6

"God-fucking...stupid damn car." Dean swore as his wrench clanked down to the ground, grease smearing across his face and arms.

He angrily searched around for the tool, finding it a little out of his reach. He scooted a little along the ground to grab the tool, trying to keep his other hand on the car. He had found that the car didn't just have one problem but several as it seemed Cain didn't really take care of his car as much as he said he did.

"Are you sure you know what your doing?" Castiel asked suddenly, causing Dean to hit his head on the car.

Dean carefully pulled himself out from underneath the car so he could face Castiel, swearing a bit under his breath. He grabbed the wrench that had fallen by Castiel's feet and stood up, shooting a glare to Cain who was watching from the window. The older man ducked back inside, obviously not wanting to intrude on their conversation.

As soon as Dean was out from under the car, Castiel could finally get a better look at him. He was dressed casually in a pair of torn up jeans and a simple t-shirt. Both were smeared with grease and his hair was stuck down in places from sweat. Castiel felt a blush creep across his face and he took a step back from Dean, his heart racing. He knew his crush on his neighbor was getting out of hand and he had to stop it from going any further.

"Yeah. It's nothing I can't fix." Dean groaned as he stretched. He checked his watch to see that he had been under the car for a good couple hours.

"Good. I was wondering if you wanted anything? Water maybe?" Castiel asked.

He had been inside talking with Cain while Dean was working. Cain had seemed to figure out Castiel's interest in Dean and he had to spend the last half hour begging the other man not to tell Dean. He already had Gabriel teasing him about it, he didn't need their older, grouchy and maybe slightly dementia ridden neighbor giving him away.

Dean gave Castiel a long look. He was his normal self today Dean could tell that much. The conversation he had with Gabriel was still fresh in his mind, along with the encounter with Castiel in the back of the truck. The latter had given him a rough time and even a few interesting dreams. He wondered what triggered Castiel's "changes", even though Dean wasn't convinced it was just as simple as he was crazy.

"No. I'm fine." Dean said shaking his head. "I really want to get this fixed before it gets too late. I've got some plans for tonight. It's my night off after all."

"Do...you have a date?" Castiel asked. He really hoped that Dean didn't. Even though he knew he couldn't have Dean, he still didn't want to imagine him with anyone else.

This stopped Dean in his tracks and he sighed. He turned back to the car not wanting to answer that. He didn't have a date but he also didn't like that Castiel would assume that. He wondered if it was just his mind playing tricks on him when he thought he heard a bit of sadness in Castiel's voice when he asked.

"No...I don't."

"Oh..." Castiel smiled a little and walked around the car as Dean pulled himself back under. He sat on the trunk, smiling to himself a little.

"No, I'm pretty lonely." Dean joked. "I was thinking about just going out for some drinks later. Do you want to join?" Dean asked. He wasn't even sure why he had asked. He hoped that Castiel didn't read too much into him asking.

Castiel hesitated and he began to fiddle with the hem of his shirt as he tried to think of what to say. He wanted to say yes but at the same time he didn't want to sound desperate. He shifted a little on the trunk nervously. He could hear Dean setting something on the ground and he was about to speak up when Dean pulled himself from under the car once more.

"Look, I didn't mean it as a date. I don't want to scare you off...so I'm just letting you know ahead of time that it wasn't meant as a date." Dean said.

Castiel's heart sank. So Dean didn't feel that way about him? He hopped off the trunk and sighed as he looked up to Dean. Dean realized that he had said something wrong just as Castiel tried to push past him. He grabbed his arm and stopped him. He felt horrible as he saw tears well up in Castiel's eyes.

"No, Cas...look if you want it to be a date, it can be one." Dean said trying to stop Castiel from crying. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he knew he caused Castiel to be upset.

"Dean it's obvious that you aren't interested. I'm sorry." Castiel tried to pull away, shaking his head.

"Cas..." Dean let him go. He half expected Castiel to run off but instead Castiel stood there.

They both stared at each other in silence. Dean wasn't sure if he had wanted Castiel to know that he wanted to take him out on a date, but now that it was out that Dean had some interest in him he could only hope Castiel felt the same. From the way Castiel had acted, Dean figured that maybe Castiel did have some interest in him too. Or at least he hoped.

"I want to go on a date with you." Castiel admitted.

"Then what is the problem?" Dean asked. He wondered if maybe Castiel was nervous because of his personal issues.

Castiel shrugged and put his hands in his pockets. He didn't look at Dean, unsure if he should tell him or not. He didn't know what the other two would think if he suddenly started dating Dean. He frowned and thought about that. It was just one date, it didn't mean that they were dating. He knew that if it went well, however, that he probably wouldn't be able to stop himself from continuing to see Dean.

"Dean there's something you should know." Castiel sighed finally looking at him.

Dean stood there, he already knew what Castiel was going to say but he didn't push Castiel to say anything. He knew from Gabriel that this was probably a very touchy subject that Castiel hadn't told many.

The front door of Cain's house slammed open causing both men to jump. Castiel turned to Cain just as the older man walked down his steps towards them. Dean groaned, he knew he was close to making a breakthrough with Castiel or at least with getting closer to him and now his damned neighbor had to ruin it. Not that Dean would say that to him.

"How's the car coming along?" Cain asked. Dean could tell from the mischievous look in his eyes he had come out in the middle of the conversation on purpose.

"It's taking longer than expected." Dean started to explain as he led Cain over to the car.

Castiel ran back into the house and came out a few minutes later with a small piece of paper on it. He stuck it under the windshield wiper before waving at the two other men as he headed back to his house. Dean was too busy showing Cain what he had done already to notice Castiel leaving until it was too late.

Cain eventually went back to the house leaving Dean to finish the car. Dean was slightly infuriated that Castiel had left but his mood changed when he saw the note that Castiel had left behind. He smiled a little when he saw it said a time, Dean could only assume it was the time Castiel would be waiting to be picked up for their date.


	7. Chapter 7

Dean sat at the bar sighing as he waited for Castiel to come back out of the bathroom. He was worried that maybe Castiel had escaped from their "date" but thought back to how the night had been so far. It wasn't too bad, or at least Dean thought. There was a lot of small talk, but they both knew they were skating around the main topic. Dean wanted to ask about it so bad, but he knew Castiel just wasn't ready to open up to him even though Dean knew more than Castiel probably thought he did.

He was relieved to see Castiel finally leaving the mens restroom. His eyes were down so Dean couldn't get a good reading on who he was. Dean scoffed, he couldn't believe he even had to think that. It wasn't like Castiel was a different person those three times...but he was at the same time? Dean still found it all confusing, and he still didn't buy Gabriel's story of Castiel being crazy. He had seen into those eyes at night...they were not Castiel's.

Castiel smiled at him as he drew closer and Dean let out breath he had been holding. He was glad to see it was just normal Castiel as the other man sat down beside him at the bar. He quickly ordered another beer and they sat in silence until the bartender handed Castiel his beer. It was Dean who finally broke the silence.

"So...what do you do for a living? I mean it has to be something good if you are living in this neighborhood." Dean said.

Castiel nodded and took a sip of his beer before responding. "I'm an artist, a painter to be exact. And before you ask, no I'm not going to show you anything. I do mainly private collections, stuff people want but don't know where else to get it from."

Dean nodded, that explained the paint on Castiel's pants the other day. "So what, is it...dirty pictures?" Dean joked.

Castiel shot him a glare and shook his head. Dean only chuckled to himself and shrugged. Castiel's next words chilled him and he nearly dropped his beer.

"Do you believe in curses?" Castiel asked with all seriousness in his voice.

For lack of a better word, Dean was a bit superstitious. It came from his family, all not very religious but all had their own beliefs and superstitions. Curses were often nightmare fuel story's told by his grandfather to Sam and him. Dean simply shrugged trying to seem unfazed by the conversation.

"Change, can be a friend or foe, a blessing or a curse..." Castiel muttered. When Dean gave him a concerned expression he smiled. "William Arthur Ward. It's just a little quote...gets you thinking though. What change was he talking about?"

"I...really don't know." Dean responded. "I'm not well versed in philosophy so..."

"My mother was one to always tell us that curses were out doing their evil deeds...demons and curses she would rant on about." Castiel muttered looking at the bar, his smile gone. "She was religious that one...tried to raise us all that way as well."

Dean kept quiet, knowing that Castiel needed this time to talk. He knew that it must be something Castiel didn't talk about with a lot of people just by how his voice cracked and lowered.

"Naomi is her name...she's still living in that fucking house. I don't even think Michael or Hannah visit anymore." Castiel sighed. "She went to church every week, she gave our father all of us kids. She thought she was getting into heaven because of this." He scoffed.

"She wasn't getting anywhere with how she treated us. If we weren't perfect it was beatings. If we were out a minute past dinner time we went to bed hungry. God we feared her, and in turn we started to fear god. But I guess that's what she wanted."

"But I can't say I was ever kind back, especially after..." Castiel sighed and licked his lips pausing to down some more of his beer. "She thought I had some problems...and her cure was locking me in my room. It started when I was just a boy, and went until I was a teen and I could finally fight back. Days, even weeks in that room. I hated it so much I couldn't even sleep in it after it was all said and done."

"All I wanted to do was destroy those walls, paint them with the blood and tears she caused. But if there was anything I learned...she never loved me. She loved the good kids. When Anna ran away it broke her heart, but then again I probably did that first." Castiel sighed.

"Of course it didn't help that she never believed me..." Castiel whispered.

Dean didn't say anything even though it was odd. He knew that it was something Castiel was saying to himself, even though he wanted to know what she didn't believe. They stayed like that for the next half hour, silence and enjoying each others company. They watched whatever crappy show was on the tv above the bar, but there was something gone between them.

It took Dean a few minutes to realize what it was but when he did he smiled. The wall was coming down, it wasn't gone fully but there was bricks missing. And that was more than he could ask for. Castiel however didn't notice. His thoughts were turned to his mother, to the memories he had of her and he clenched the beer bottle tight. He hadn't even told Dean most of the story...he wasn't sure if he could trust Dean not to walk away and never look back when he found out the truth.

" _Castiel get down here this instant!" Came the strong yell of Castiel's mother, Naomi. Her brown hair was pulled back in a neat bun, accenting the professional look she had with the clean pantsuit she wore. "Castiel, if you do not come down here this-"_

" _Fuck off." Were the only words that cut off Naomi._

 _A thin teenager of about fifteen sauntered down the stairs towards her, pants in his jean pockets. His blue eyes were filled with hatred for her very existence and she knew this. She took a step back and the teen smiled as he stepped down to the last step. He was taller than her by a few inches but she kept her gaze and posture despite the fear in her eyes._

" _Don't talk to me like that young man." She hissed._

" _Oh shut up. I'm not Michael or Raphael, I'm not here to grovel before you bitch." Castiel spat. His face was met with her hand in an open palm slap, but it did little to deter him._

" _Castiel Novak! You are grounded." Naomi yelled. "You better show me respect or-"_

 _Castiel shoved her away and laughed. "Or what? Lock me in my room again? That your solution for everything? For your little devil child?"_

 _Naomi's face fell and her eyes widened. Castiel smirked and walked towards the door, humming to himself. He grabbed his coat and turned to look at her, a wide smile on his face._

" _Well come on Mother. We don't want to ruin the image of our perfect Christian family now do we? Can't imagine what people would if they found out you lock your own son in a room because of his "illness." You know they have a word for that in your community."_

 _He opened the door and for a second Naomi could of swore she saw her sons blue eyes flash red. "Oh you already know though. I don't blame you...after all who could love a devil?" He cackled._


	8. Chapter 8

Castiel picked up the shattered glass that had somehow show up on the floor of his kitchen over night. He had no idea how it got there but he had his suspicions on who put it there. It wasn't very likely that it had fallen and broken, it was too close to his walk path through the kitchen. If it had been an accident it would have been cleaned up before he woke up in the morning.

Perhaps it was retaliation for the date the night before. Castiel smiled. It had been one of the best nights he had in a long time. He actually had fun. Dean was a great guy and Castiel for the first time thought maybe he was the right one. Maybe he had a chance to be happy for longer than just a single night.

His entire life had been governed by hiding his darkest secrets, and he always believed no one would want him because of these. But being with Dean, he felt that it may be possible. That Dean would never judge him nor hate who he was or what he dealt with every day of his life. Dean would understand, Castiel was sure.

" _Jesus Castiel, way to be such a sap. Fuck, why don't you just go over there and offer yourself up to him?"_ Came one of the voices Castiel knew so well. That foul mouthed bastard that never let him have peace. Castiel tried to ignore those words, ignore the snicker that followed them.

" _You are a sinner. You have to repent for these things. What would mother think?"_ Came a different voice. Despite it's words, the tone was calm, almost like there was nor real belief or force behind them.

 _"Oh yeah, keep repressing that shit James."_ The first voice chuckled. _"I mean Cassie may have sweet, innocent thoughts about lover boy over there but we all know what sick shit runs through your mind."_ The voice cackled.

"Enough!" Castiel yelled. The voices grew silent and Castiel could feel himself shaking from anger, but he wasn't sure if it was really him or one of the others reacting negatively. He was too focused on calming himself that he grew careless with the glass and ended up slicing his thumb open with a large piece.

"Fucking dammit." He swore as he stood up, rushing to the sink to wash the blood off and inspect the wound. He grabbed one of the white hand towels hanging on his stove and wrapped it around his hand, the cut worst than he thought. He wouldn't need any stitches he was sure of at least.

He left the kitchen, careful not to step on the glass and went to his small bathroom. He searched around looking for bandages and sighed in relief when he found it. Sitting on his toilet, he worked on fixing his wound while his thoughts wandered. He knew he was just living in a fantasy world. He was exactly what his family called him.

Freak.

Crazy.

Nut Job.

It didn't matter that he had spent years trying to explain himself, explain he wasn't insane or hearing things. They weren't figments of his imagination built by a lonely childhood, conjured from a tormented mind. No, they were real. They were with him since he was a child. He was the one that allowed them into his life and as an adult he regretted it. He was the one paying the price for it.

Castiel returned to the task of cleaning up the glass, the voices absent as he did. He knew they would be back, they always were back. He placed the glass into the trash carefully so not to cut himself again. He didn't need to injure himself again, his bandaged hand showing specks of blood from the wound.

After he was done he moved back to his living room. It was recently cleaned and Castiel could only assume James had been through cleaning. Castiel didn't have anything to do that day, he didn't have work. He was taking the day off from the only piece he had been hired to paint. That was the highlight of his days, painting. Of course Gabriel would often come by and accuse him of wasting his talent on whatever blasphemous artwork he was doing for a good paycheck.

He groaned as his back hit the couch, relaxing into the warmth and softness of it. He rubbed his eyes wearily with the fingers of his injured hand. He sighed and took a deep breath to compose himself. He looked out of the living room window towards Dean's house. He froze seeing Dean was in his kitchen, staring at him. Dean had a concerned look on his face as his eyes looked at the bandaged hand Castiel had up to his face.

Castiel pulled the hand away and looked at it. He turned his gaze back to the window to see that Dean was gone. His eyes widened as he knew where Dean was headed. Panic blossomed in Castiel's chest and he quickly stood from his couch just as a knock echoed from his front door. Dammit Dean was fast, he thought.

Castiel rushed to the door, his heart about to burst from his chest as he was afraid of Dean even gazing into his house. He opened the door slowly and he was surprised when Dean slammed a hand on the wooden door to stop Castiel from closing it. Castiel jumped back a little and he brought his injured hand to his chest.

"What happened?" Dean asked reaching for the hand. "Did you hurt yourself?"

Castiel shook his head and took a step back. Dean didn't seem to take that as an answer and he stepped past the threshold of the house. Castiel gulped as he realized Dean was now on his territory. He half expected the voices to pipe up, to yell at Dean too, to hurt him. He pushed Dean out with his non-wounded hand and tried to keep him from the house.

Dean stumbled back in confusion but he didn't leave the premises. "Cas...what's wrong?" He asked. "Let me help you...please."

Castiel stopped. He looked up to Dean's face, their eyes meeting. He knew Dean didn't mean it like that. He had to be talking about Castiel's injured hand. Dean couldn't know about the daily torment Castiel dealt with, the secrets. Sure he had had told Dean a little bit of his life but there was so much Dean didn't know. Yet, Castiel felt his heart leap at the words. He wanted to think that perhaps Dean would want to help, save him from his demons and torture.

Dean took his hand and flashed Castiel a smile as he looked over the bandaged hand. Castiel suddenly felt exhausted, his worrying and anxiety taking a toll on him as he dropped his head against Dean's shoulder. He was exhausted from not getting enough sleep, his body often driven beyond it's means due. So many nights he had stayed awake but not by his own will.

Dean grabbed Castiel as he seemed to just fall asleep in his arms and he swore gently under his breath. He closed the door with his foot as he picked Castiel up. The man wasn't as heavy as he thought and he took him to the living room. He set him down on the couch and grabbed a small black throw blanket that was on the couch to put over Castiel.

He must have been so tired, Dean couldn't help but feel bad for him. He wondered if his illness caused this. He thought about asking Gabriel for more details about his illness. Dean still wasn't sure if he could say for certain Castiel was crazy. He didn't know much about mental illness so he couldn't say though. He really hoped that Castiel was alright, he had freaked out when he saw the bandaged hand.

Dean looked up from Castiel and he felt the urge to look around. There was no personal effects in the living room or dining room. He didn't mean to be nosy, but he was really curious to see this private life of Castiel. He threw one more glance over to the sleeping man to make sure that he was really asleep before heading down the hallway that led to the stairs that led to the second story. He looked around the downstairs, hesitant to go up stairs just yet. The layout downstairs was like his own house, except flipped.

The living room faced the side of his house that held his kitchen and dining room. He knew this already and focused on the two other rooms that were downstairs that were tucked behind the stairs. The first room was a bathroom. Dean skipped over this, he had no interest in it. There was no personal effects in there.

The other room was what must have been built to be a den or office, in Dean's house it was simply used for storage. Instead it was a bedroom. Dean figured this was Castiel's room, but he quickly threw that conclusion out as he noticed it was filled with religious objects. After what Castiel had told him the night before Dean highly doubted that Castiel was religious.

A cross hung on the off white walls and a well used bible was on the bedside table. The bed was neatly made, the blankets a cream color. Other than the bed and it's side table there was only a closet and dresser. The entire room was sparse of personal effects other than a single item on the dresser.

Dean entered the bedroom to take a closer look at the dresser. There was just a single frame with a photograph on it and nothing else. The picture contained just two people, Castiel and Gabriel. Gabriel had his arm over Castiel's shoulder, but neither man was smiling. The picture had to be a few years old as both men looked much younger but still adults. Castiel looked different somehow but it wasn't from the younger age. Something stood out in his eyes.

Dean couldn't figure out exactly what it was about those blue eyes. There was no bright gleam from laughter in the eyes nor an inquisitive stare that usually resided on Castiel's features. It was self assured and yet also calm. A calm that Dean had only seen once before belonging to Castiel that time with the mail mix up. He felt even ore unnerved by this and quickly left the room.

He checked that yes, Castiel was still asleep on the couch before walking up the stairs. He stepped carefully so not to make any noise that would wake Cas. As soon as he was on the top landing he let out a small breath of relief and looked around the hallway. There was three doors, each one a bedroom most likely. The upstairs was slightly different than his own as he only had two bedrooms in his house.

Dean went to the first door on his right and reached for the doorknob. He wasn't sure what would greet him on the other side of the door as he turned the doorknob. He frowned and jiggled the doorknob more. It was locked. He let out a sigh but turned to the next door. He thought it was unusual to keep locked doors in a house that had only one occupant.

 _Maybe it's locked to keep pervs like you from creeping around,_ Dean heard a voice rung out in his head that sounded way too much like his brother. He ignored this voice and tried the next door. Locked again. Dean huffed in frustration and frowned.

Why were all the doors locked? Was Castiel hiding something? If so what?

 _"_ _Maybe he's a serial killer?"_ Came Sam's voice once more. Dean rolled his eyes at this. He could hardly see Castiel as a killer, even if he was a little nuts.

Dean figured the last door would be locked but he tried it anyways. To his surprise the doorknob turned and he pushed the door open hesitantly. He entered what seemed to be a studio. Clear tarps covered the floor to stop any splattering of paint, while canvases were placed against the wall faced towards the dark wall. A single easel stood in the middle of the room, covered by a paint stained sheet. The single window was a poor source of light, only dim lighting came through and Dean looked up to find a single old light bulb hanging from the ceiling. Curious he flipped the switch.

A low hum could be heard before the light came on. Dean could see the room a bit better but there wasn't much of a difference. He couldn't see what were on the canvases on the wall as they were pointed away from him and as he stepped closer to the canvas in the middle he heard someone speak up from behind him.

"You shouldn't be here."


End file.
